Why Top 45?

These are the things that float to the top of my list of activities that I want to do for the year 2012 when I am 45 years old. The list is comprised of things that I have either never tried or have wanted to try and just didn't have the courage or time to do it. Follow along and watch my progress and feel free to comment or add words of encouragement to help keep me going for the next 365 days!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Ongoing Update

Several of the items on the list are classified* in the category of 'ongoing,' meaning that they can't be completed in one day and they are on the list to help me develop some habits that I have wanted to incorporate into my life. [*Not classified as in I won't share what they are ; )]

As you may have guessed, I am doing better with some of the items than others but everyday I wake up and I think about the list of ongoing activities and try to fit them in. The ones that I would consider rating as habits now are cleaning out the kitchen sink, making my bed (and Nicole's, an added bonus) exercising each week (not quite the minimum of 5 times that I had hoped, but 4 pretty consistently), writing in this blog and the Courage to Change blog. I am finding that if I don't do the ones listed above, I feel off balance. This month, I will get going on practicing my French, The Artist's Way, writing my stories to Nicole and writing some handwritten notes to friends and family.

One big item, Nicole's room, has actually been progressing. The intended end date is her birthday on June 25, but I have been making some movement on it because I don't want the time and expense to hit all at once.

When we started in January, her room was a nice shade of pink befitting a young girl.

Since she keeps on growing, and growing up, much to the dismay of her dad and I, I figured it was time for a more grown up palette. I let her choose the color and you can see samples of the color on the walls above. I often crave light, so we chose to paint one of the walls a darker shade of the other three walls so that the main color is the same but the headboard wall would pop. I was having some new carpet installed in her room so it was the perfect time to paint the walls in January.

I had intended to buy her a new bed and bedding and really like the bed she has at her dad's, the Stratton bed with baskets from Pottery Barn. A new one cost a little over $1k with delivery and I actually started looking on Craigslist a few months ago hoping to get lucky. Last week, while laying in bed with Nicole playing on the laptop, I decided to check out Craigslist. Low and behold there was a listing for a Stratton bed with baskets that had been posted just 2 days before for $350. I immediately clicked on the email address and sent an email expressing my interest in the bed. Since I had just started using iCloud technology and not always trusting 'unknown' technology, the next morning I sent another email from my trusty desktop. A few hours later, I received this response, "Hi Theresa, This is J#$%#$^ (names have been altered to protect identities ; ) ). You sold us our house about 2 years ago and the bed is still available. Can you come and see it tomorrow?" Such a small world I thought...I saw the bed the next day and wrote the check immediately saving myself over $700 dollars! Yesterday, I got some help transporting it and putting it together.

Her room will not be complete, complete until this summer because we still have to pick out the rest of the decor and the bedding and I also have to decide if we will get a queen mattress that fits the platform bed better. Nonetheless, I wanted to post a 'progress' picture of the room thus far. The color is so soothing and the bed is very inviting, even more than it was before. Can't wait for the big reveal this summer!